Stoker Ernest East was a member of HMS
Hampshire - a 10,850 ton armoured cruiser stationed with the fleet in Scapa
Flow in the Orkneys after having taken part in a naval engagement at
Jutland fought on 31st may 1916.

On the morning of Monday 5th June 1916, with its bunkers filled with
1950 tons of prime coal, HMS Hampshire raised her anchors and with a ship's
complement of 655 officers and men, plus Lord Kitchener and his staff of 6
high ranking officials,
slipped her berth, left the safety of Scapa Flow, and set a Northern course
destined for St Petersburg in Russia. The UK government had requested that
Lord Kitchener should arrange discussions with the Russian ruler in an attempt
to put heart into a flagging ally and to keep his armed forces active in the
Eastern war.

The ship had an uneventful start to its journey, but around 7:30 am, not
long after leaving Scapa Flow, she struck a mine around the mid-ships
section and by 8:00 am a shore-based telegraph office reported "vessel down".
In a few moments all but 12 of the 655 crew and passengers had perished,
including Stoker Ernest East aged 24.

The bodies that were eventually found were buried in a communal grave at
Lyness Cemetery at Hoy in the Orkney Isles. The body of Lord Kitchener was
never found, but a memorial to him now stands at Marwick, Bursay Bay, Orkney
Isles.

Ernest East was the third son of Arthur & Sarah East who lived at Little
Street, Milton Malsor.